Shloka 130

Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout

Devanagari script

अन्योन्यं सम्परिष्वज्य शयानान्‌ द्रवतो5परान्‌ | संलीनान्‌ युद्धयमानांश्व सर्वान्‌ द्रौणिरपोथयत्‌

Transliteration

anyonyam sampariṣvajya śayānān dravatoparān | saṃlīnān yuddhayamānāṃś ca sarvān drauṇir apothayat ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Some were lying down, clasping one another in mutual embrace; others were fleeing in panic; others again were hiding or trying to fight back. Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāman) struck down all of them.

Word by Word

• अन्योन्यम्: mutually, one another
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial accusative usage)

• सम्परिष्वज्य: having embraced
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-परि-√स्वज्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), indeclinable

• शयानान्: lying down
• शयानान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शयाना (from √शी)
• Form: Masculine, accusative, plural (present participle used adjectivally)

• द्रवतः: running, fleeing
• द्रवतः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रवत् (from √द्रु)
• Form: Masculine, accusative, plural (present participle used adjectivally)

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karma
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine, accusative, plural

• संलीनान्: hidden, merged, huddled
• संलीनान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संलीन (from सम्-√ली)
• Form: Masculine, accusative, plural (past participle used adjectivally)

• युद्धयमानान्: fighting
• युद्धयमानान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युद्धयमान (from √युध्, intensive/denominative-like present participle)
• Form: Masculine, accusative, plural (present participle used adjectivally)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Avyaya (conjunction)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, accusative, plural

• द्रौणिः: Drauni (son of Drona, Ashvatthaman)
• द्रौणिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौणि
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• अपोथयत्: struck down, crushed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-√उथ्/√ओथ् (causative/denominative sense: to strike down, crush)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• द्रौणि (Drauṇi/Aśvatthāman, son of Droṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how war can descend into adharma when restraint and rules collapse—especially in a night raid where the vulnerable (sleeping, fleeing, hiding) are killed. It invites reflection on ethical limits in conflict and the consequences of vengeance-driven violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the chaos in the camp during Aśvatthāman’s nocturnal assault: some warriors lie embracing in sleep, some run, some hide, some try to fight; Aśvatthāman cuts them all down indiscriminately.